Dual enrollment physics vs microbiology spring of junior year

Applying to College
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Hi! I’m a junior in a program where I take most of my classes at community college. I’m really interested in math and biology, and I’m obsessed with diseases. I want to double major in Math and bio and then get a PhD in disease Ecology. I’m currently choosing my classes for spring semester and I need to choose between a Physics with Calculus 1 class and a Microbiology class.

The physics is equivalent to AP Phys C: mechanics, while the Micro class is college level but more of an elective science.

I want to know, from a college application standpoint, would it look better to have taken the Physics (because it’s more rigorous and I haven’t taken any physics yet) or microbiology (because it aligns with my interests and physics really has nothing to do with what I want to study).

I’m generally a very high achieving student and will also be taking linear algebra and differential equations this spring, and I’m aiming for a selective college. If I don’t take physics this semester I will take it fall semester of senior year, but then I won’t have a grade for ED/EA applications.

Thanks so much for any advice you might have!

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Generally, selective colleges want to see biology, chemistry, and physics on a transcript, but this only matters if selective schools are something you’re looking at. A large number of schools don’t care as long as you meet the qualifications.

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Biology majors need to take college level physics eventually.

While biology majors may be allowed to take a non-calculus or light calculus physics sequence, a student who likes math and is good at it may prefer to learn physics with calculus instead of seeing the obvious calculus being talked around.

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Hi, thanks for the input! I am trying to get into a selective college, and I will end up taking physics, it just might be fall of senior year, so I wouldn’t have a grade yet for EA and ED.

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That totally makes sense! I REALLY like math and I do think it sounds annoying to do algebra based physics when the calculus is kinda obvious.

I will take the class at some point in high school, but I’m trying to figure out strategically which would be best to take in this last semester that I’ll have grades for to be able to show schools for early applications.

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I have a junior and any time she has asked a college admissions counselor they have advised her to take AP Physics over AP Biology. Your doing great keep it up

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Physics is considered a foundational science course and selective schools will want to see that on your transcript. Even if it is taken senior year and you won’t have a grade yet, it needs to be taken in high school. Colleges will se what classes are part of your senior schedule. The lack of physics would be a bit of a red flag. My two cents.

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I agree Physics is a foundational science, and you should definitely take it in HS.

But it seems to me you are just asking if you need to take it specifically as a junior so you will get a grade to show when applying to colleges. My answer for that specific question is no, I don’t really think they will care what order you do these classes in or what grades you have available at the time you are applying.

So if you would rather do the Microbiology course first, I think that is fine as long as you will be reporting you are in fact taking Physics as a senior.

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Are you currently taking Calculus? Physics C is meant to be taken after Calculus and ideally after a regular Physics class. If you haven’t completed Calc yet, maybe take the year long regular Physics?

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I’m taking Cal 3 this semester and will be taking linear algebra and differential equations in the spring!

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As long as you take physics senior year, you’re good. Does not matter that you won’t have a grade. And in fact, many EA/ED colleges request mid-yr grades in December anyway.

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As a follow up question, would it look bad to take the microbiology course because it’s not the most rigorous option possible?

I took college chem 1 over the summer and I’m in general bio this fall. I think the chem course was similar to AP and the bio class is a little less rigorous

I am super interested in micro bio and disease but I am also going to show my interest through an honors project on disease ecology in my math class and (hopefully) a summer research opportunity

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I would not be concerned about a college science course not being seen as rigorous enough.

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Science courses for non-major general education (“physics for poets” type courses) may not be seen as rigorous as courses for students in that subject major.

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The physics class being discussed by the OP is described (in the first post) as being equivalent to AP Physics C so that is not the case here.

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The microbiology course is the one where this may be the case.

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The OP considered that class as an elective rather than a core science so likely it is fine.

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Hi! Just to clarify, the worry is that it would look bad to take microbiology, an “elective” science, rather than Chem or Physics, which are more solidly rigorous core sciences.

I would take the bio for bio majors sequence (organismal and cellular biology) but the timing doesn’t work with my high school schedule :melting_face:. That means the only bio class I can take would be the microbio.

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You are fine taking physics as a senior. Most students take Bio 10th grade, Chem 11th grade, and Phys 12th grade. If you are very interested, take the microbio class, especially because physics seems to be offered every term and the microbio class might only be offered on occasion. If the microbio class is also offered every term, then you might want to take physics first and just get it out of the way, so you can savor the microbio class during your senior year.

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Perhaps take physics now, and maybe biology for biology majors that you prefer will be offered at a time that better fits into your schedule next year.